Mail-box.



' ject of the King of Italy,

illustrating the locking PAUL AMADEO, 0F SHEN'ANDOAH, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL-BOX.

1,082,787. Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed August 8, 1912, SeriaI No. 713,981. Divided1913. Serial No. 753,503.

Patented Dec. 38, 1913. and this application filed March 11,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PAUL AMADEo, a subresiding at Shenandoah, in thecounty of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Mail- Boxes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in mail boxes, and moreparticularly to an improved hinged bottom for mail boxes, the object ofthe invention being to provide a mail box with a bottom consisting oftwo members movable relative to each other, whereby the bottom ispermitted to pivot and direct the mail to one end thereof without anypossibility of the mail falling out of the opposite end.

A further object is to provide improved means for holding a pivotedbottom of the character set forth in closed position.

This application is a division of my application for patent filed August8, 1912, and given Serial No. 713,961.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations and ar rangements ofparts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a fragmentaiw view inlongitudinal section through a mail box illustrating my improvedconstruction of bottom. Fig. 2 is a view in transverse section on theline 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation of theinner wall of the mail box lever. Fig. 4 is a ragmentary view inlongitudinal section, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view ofthe bottom on a reduced scale.

1 represents the lower portion of a mail box which is provided at itslower end with a bottom 39.

the box. Cylindrical enlargements 51 are provided on the lower face ofthe bottom 39 and receive rods 52 integral with member 50, coiledsprings 53 being located in said cylindrical enlargements and exert apressure on the rods, tending to expand the bottom longitudinally andmaintaining member 50 always in contact with the wall of the boxregardless of the position of the bottom. This is particularly desirablebecause mail within the box might fall out of the box, and not down theinclined bottom when the latter is in open position, if

I provide triangular plates 47 at the side edges of the bottom whichslide against the walls of the box and form the side members of aninclined chute when the bottom is in open position.

To hold the bottom in closed position, I provide a catch 42 which islocated in the recess 2 in the wall of box 1, and is pivotally supportedbetween its ends as indicated at 43. A coiled spring 3 holds this catch42 in normal position, and said catch is adapted to be swung to unlockedposition by a suitable key (not shown) which may be inserted through akey hole45 in the box and engage an arm 44 on the catch. This catch 42at its lower free end is provided with a beveled lug 5 which is engagedby a beveled lug 4 on the free end of a springpressed latch 41. Thislatch 41 is covered by a casing 46 and is pressed into operativeposition by a coiled spring 6 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. It is to beunderstood that the latch 41 will spring into locked engagement with thecatch 42 when the bottom is closed, but in order to permit the bottom toopen, it is necessary to swing the catch to one side by means of asuitable key as above explained.

arious slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangementof parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I donot limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myselfat liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention,

short member, the latter I have given separate reference numeral 50, andthe longer member is provided at one end with a longitudinal slot inwhich member 50 telescopes. The relatively long member of the bottom 39is pivoted between its ends and at both side edges to the walls of themail box 1, and when the bottom is in closed po sition, it neatly fitswithin the lower end of prevent the mail from falling out the sides,

PAUL AMADEO.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a receptacle, of a bottom pivoted between itsends in said receptacle, said bottom comprising two members overlappingeach other, elastic means tending to move the members longitudinally tolengthen the bottom, whereby one end of the bottom is maintained inposition against the wall of the receptacle at any incline, and lockingmeans at the other end of the bottom, whereby the bottom is secured inhorizontal position within the receptacle, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a receptacle, of a bottom pivoted between itsends in said receptacle, said bottom comprising two Witnesses:

R. J. RICHEY, ISRAEL SIswErN. Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent i, Washi ngton, D. G.

